RM Auctions will offer ‘without reserve’ more than 175 vehicles from the Aalholm Automobil Museum during a single-day auction, 12 August, 2012 in southern Denmark.
Baron J.O. Raben-Levetzau founded the Aalholm Automobil Museum in 1964 on the Island of Lolland, just west of Nysted, against the Aalholm Castle, one of Denmark’s oldest medieval castles. Using the castle’s own 1911 Rolls-Royce as a starting point for the collection, the museum was one of Europe’s largest automobile collections, at one time displaying more than 200 motor cars spanning the 1890s through 1980s. The museum was in operation from 1964 through 2007.
“Well-known by motoring enthusiasts across Europe, the Aalholm Collection comprises a wide range of marques and eras, presenting a diverse range of ownership opportunities. With many examples coming to the market for the first time in decades following long-term display in the museum, the sale presents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire an important piece of Danish history,” says Annette Abaci, specialist RM Europe and manager of the Company’s German division.
Among a long list of auction highlights is a 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp Silver Ghost Roi des Belges Tourer, chassis number 1677, the first car of the collection and the example that inspired the Aalholm Museum, along with a pair of pre-war Bugattis – a 1938 Bugatti 57C Stelvio Drophead Coupe by Gangloff, chassis number 57716, a part of the collection since 1965, and a 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Tourer, chassis number 40905, one of just 32 examples built. Also on offer an original 1928 Mercedes-Benz Nürnburg Limousine; a 1932 Hispano-Suiza HS26 Cabriolet-Victoria; a rare surviving 1938 Maybach Zeppelin DS8 Roadster; a 1947 Delahaye 135 M Cabriolet and a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/E.
Another highlight of the collection is a series of veteran cars from the early 1900s, including a 1900 Decauville Roadster; a 1900 De Dion-Bouton Four-Seat Vis á Vis; a 1902 Holsman High-Wheel Runabout; and a 1902 Rambler Model C Runabout, all of which are London-to-Brighton eligible.
Beyond the automobiles, the sale will also lift the gavel on a 1903 Wright Brothers Replica Plane, a 1890s Train Carriage (Danish Royal Carriage) and a toy train set by Märklin from the 1920s which was reportedly given to Baron J.O. Raben-Levetzau by his father when he turned 15.
For additional details, visit www.rmauctions.com or call RM’s London office at +44 20 7851 7070.
[Source: RM Auctions]
